Graduate

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Elementary Education

Roger Williams University offers two Elementary Education programs leading to the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). The first is a campus-based program that working adults generally complete in two years. The second is a residency program offered in partnership with the Gordon School in East Providence. Both programs lead to certification as a grade 1-6 teacher in Rhode Island and all as participants in the Interstate Certification Compact (ICC).* Individuals preparing to enter the teaching profession through either program should be highperforming students who are eager to investigate the challenges of collaborating with colleagues and partnering with families to teach all students in America’s diverse classrooms to high standards, and to ensure that all students achieve at high levels.

Campus-based Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Elementary Education

The campus-based Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Elementary Education Program is standards-based and provides a rich background in educational history, research, philosophy, developmental and learning theories, and the art and practice of teaching. All learning experiences are guided by the Rhode Island Professional Teaching Standards and provide candidates with opportunities to build connections between theory and practice. Currently it is a 49-credit program and includes 13 courses, clustered into three Curriculum Levels, and arranged in a developmental sequence: Level I, Exploring the Profession; Level II, Preparing to Teach; and Level III, Performing in the Classroom.**

In Level I, candidates develop a knowledge base and participate in field experiences in three introductory courses. In Level II, candidates develop expertise in instructional and assessment practices that are critical to their roles as elementary teachers. In Level III, candidates use the broad-based knowledge developed in the first two levels while they prepare to assume and carry out their roles as elementary classroom teachers.

MAT students are assessed by the RWU Teacher Education Performance Assessment System. The guiding principles of performance assessment suggest that all students should be evaluated on their highest performance in a given area. During course work, MAT students are continually evaluated in the context of preparation to perform real teaching tasks. In addition to the materials they have submitted for program admission, MAT candidates complete a Preparing to Teach Portfolio that includes evidence, selected by the candidate from Level I and Level II coursework, of their progress in meeting the Rhode Island Professional Teaching Standards (RIPTS). Evaluation at Level III consists of an oral presentation in which the candidate reviews his or her preparation to enter student teaching, and a Performing in the Classroom Portfolio containing evidence of the candidate’s progress in practicum and student teaching, and of his or her readiness to be recommended to the Rhode Island Department of Education for certification to teach in grades 1-6. Because the Portfolio specifications undergo periodic revision, candidates are referred to the School of Education’s website for the most recent documents.

Applying to the Campus-based MAT Program

Two letters of recommendation attesting to your potential to succeed in graduate school and to work with children.

Current resume or CV.

Evidence of basic skills, set by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE).

If your first language is not English, an official report of TOEFL or IELTS results.

Completed application form accompanied by the $50 application fee.

The School of Education also requires a personal interview as part of the admissions process. After submitting your completed application to the Office Graduate Admission, contact the office of the Dean of the School of Education at 401-254-3309 to schedule an interview.

Requirements for the Campus-based Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education(All courses are three credits unless otherwise indicated)

The Teacher Residency MAT program is a jointly offered, full time, 12-month immersion program in which graduate students work as Teaching Residents with experienced teachers during school hours, and enroll in courses taught by RWU on the Bristol campus, and Gordon faculty on-site in East Providence, throughout the summer and regular academic year. The program is designed to enable Teaching Residents to integrate theory, research, and practical experience in a classroom and school community that values and practices multicultural education and teaching for social justice. Additionally, it provides opportunities to work intensively with elementary students in Providence Schools during the Summer and Winter Intersession terms.

Students in the Teacher Residency Program are assessed by a modified version of the RWU Teacher Education Performance Assessment System. The guiding principles of performance assessment suggest that all students should be evaluated on their highest performance in a given area. During course work, Teaching Residents are continually evaluated in the context of preparing and performing real teaching tasks. In addition to the materials they have submitted for program admission, candidates complete assessments in Internship and Seminar I (Fall) and Internship and Seminar II (Spring). They present their Portfolios orally towards the conclusion of the program.

Applying to the Teacher Residency MAT Program

To be considered for admission, applicants must hold an earned Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants must submit the following:

Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework.

Personal statement (two-three pages) describing why you have chosen to become a teacher and how the Teacher Residency Program will help you achieve your specific goals. Reflect on how your previous educational, personal, or professional experiences have led you to this important point in your professional journey.

Two letters of recommendation attesting to your abilities in some of the following areas: communicate effectively orally and in writing; work with children, especially in groups; receive and use feedback; work collaboratively in teams; flexibility, adaptability, and ability to improvise and respond to the spontaneity and messiness of learning; and/or willingness to be questioned, observed, and challenged.

Current resume or CV.

Evidence of basic skills, set by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE).

If your first language is not English, an official report of TOEFL or IELTS results.

Completed application form accompanied by the $50 application fee.

The Teacher Residency Program also requires personal interviews and a school visit as part of the admissions process. After submitting your completed application to the Office of Graduate Admission, contact the Director of the Teacher Residency Program at the Gordon School, 401-434-3833 to schedule an interview and visit.

Requirements for the Teacher Residency Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education

EDU

502

Foundations in Educational Research: Perspectives in Social Justice

EDU

504

Psychology of Development and Learning

EDU

507

Introduction to Elementary Literacy Practices I

EDU

509

Standards-based Science in the Elementary Classroom

EDU

511

Standards-based Mathematics in the Elementary Classroom

EDU

512

Fieldwork in an Urban Community

EDU

515

Introduction to Elementary Literacy Practices II

EDU

518

Research and Practice in the Inclusive Classroom: A field-based Experience